Some Links About Ferguson

We are almost done with Ferguson, Missouri for this time around.  Did we learn anything?  I think we learned that issues surrounding race are no where near settled, and if anything by voting in a man with brown skin as president, we have highlighted the issues even more.  We may be more polarized, and more potentially divided and explosive now than in any time since the 1950s and 1960s.

I have accumulated an impressive pile of interesting opinion articles and I am going to take this post to share some of them with you.  I will also share a link of a recent court settlement.  I would advise not reading it all in one sitting.  It is just too much.  In fact, the coverage of the events in Ferguson began to take on the same sort of life that post 9/11 coverage began to have back in 2001--and there was only email and the telephone back then for "social media." Take the occasional break.  It is good for the soul.

11 Things white people should stop saying..

A mother's white privilege...

Why white moms need to care...

How many unarmed people have to die..

Why we are mad...

I don't know how to talk to white people...

Poll Shows Division...

Explaining white privilege to a poor white...

for the sake of Michael Brown..

White evangelicals listen...

No Time to be polite...

Since we are going to change the tone a little bit, here is some sage advice for dealing with opinion, comment sections and other malarkey on the internet.  Handling the haters....

we want justice, hair extensions..

Man frustrated by Ferguson..

why the Obama administration sees...

Finally, after all the talk above, and all the angst about white bigotry and prejudice and violence, and everything, there needs to be honest talk about black on black violence and black on white violence.

Beaten to death at McDonald's...

Dear reader, feel free to add any links that you have found informative to your outlook on the events of Ferguson and your own views on "Race Matters."





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Race Matters

In the year plus since I have last sat down and written something here there have been plenty of intense news stories to consider.  There have been mass shootings, and foreign policy crises, and all kinds of things that could have been discussed here.  I came close to posting when the street car extension went down in defeat, if nothing else to dance a little victory dance, but even then, no.  Too much other stuff in my life.  Just keeping up on the Facebook is hard enough sometimes.

But then on a Saturday afternoon, a man was shot by a police officer in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis--and life has been off the hook since. 

Partly it is because I have this amazing Facebook friend.  I've never met her in person, but she is a talented writer and the kind of person who stands up hard for what she believes in.  She even appeared on national television after a certain Facebook post about mommy fitness went viral and she presented an alternative message so well that the media wanted to interview her.  Well, my friend became very intense about what was going on in Ferguson, and posted stuff from non-MSM sources that were more reflective of the black experience.  Most of them I was in agreement with and some I realized were treading in land I could not, as a white person, access.  They aroused emotion and some argument.  Other places on the internet were ablaze with commentary, from national sites like CNN to local sites like Tony's Kansas City.  Of course I could not go just half way with this stuff, but plunged in head long as usual.  None of it has changed my mind about the way I feel about race matters--stuff I have blogged about years ago.  But everything has been brought up afresh with the events in Ferguson.  I find that unfortunate, since we have struggled hard in this country to make progress.

The main thing that I want to say here is that the old narrative that fueled the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s is broken and needs revision.  Now, I am not saying that it needs to be thrown out completely.  Slavery was real.  White European people came to see black African people as less than human, something that just boggles my mind (and a stream of thought that is very much alive today, alas), and because of this white people could see their way to treating black people very badly.  The Civil Rights movement swept aside all legal bits of this inhuman treatment, and even put in place some things to force equal treatment. 

So what happened?  Something did, because parts of American society are badly dysfunctional.  Especially black American society. 

Maybe it is not so much that the narrative is broken, but that it is misused.  It is used to deflect responsibility for one's actions.  It is used to jump to conclusions.  It is used to lump everyone in a given group all together in one monolithic stereotype.  It is used to lower expectations and to allow for failure to become acceptable.  It is used to avoid asking hard questions and hearing hard answers.  It is used as an excuse.

Racism, prejudice and bigotry are alive and very well in today's society.  We are not past Race Matters by any means.  There are certain things that as a white person I will never understand, no matter how empathic I can be.  Yet we have to stop and ask, Is this current narrative and what we say to ourselves as a country about race and the history of black and white people in this country working?  I would propose that what we say is not working, not working at all.  The proof is in Ferguson, Missouri, and it is playing out live on your TV, on your computer or smart phone, in comment sections and blog posts, in anger and fear, in destruction and distrust.  

I am pretty hard to scare.  I recognize that the MSM is manipulative with its "if it bleeds it leads" mantra.  I look at crime realistically, rarely allowing news stories to frighten me unduly, taking me past doing common sense crime prevention and simply being aware of my surroundings.  But Ferguson scares me.  The profile of Ferguson is not far off from suburban cities in Kansas City and even south KC itself.  Communities such as Raytown, Grandview, Ruskin and even the older parts of Overland Park and Olathe have experienced White Flight and significant population changes. Have their polity and politics kept up with the change?  Do their police forces relate to the community as it is composed now?  Could a mob come into my neighborhood and destroy what me and my family have worked for in a night of terror?  I look around and see a lot of positive signs:  The Grandview police department is light years ahead of where they were.  KCMO has a black mayor and police chief.  My neighborhood is integrated. I have good neighbors.

I would hate to have the powerful outside forces of racial politics and fear transform good neighbors into people I have to worry about harming our community structure in the name of race.  It is time for all races, tribes, groups and statuses to look realistically at the way we talk to ourselves about Race Matters and to take responsibility for our own sins and bad actions.  That is one way to snuff the fuse of the race bomb. 

Put Them Away!

I have long maintained that the majority of crime is committed by a minority of people.  Crime, like so many other human endeavors, seems to follow the 80-20 rule.  The 80-20 rule, as stated for group activities like work, church and charitable work, is that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people, and conversely, 80% of the people do 20% of the work.  So, in crime, a small percentage of people commit the bulk of the crime.

Now, some of the proverbial 20% of criminals are people are the creme de la creme of bad guys--smart, sociopathic folks who are extremely hard to catch.  And some of the 20% are like this guy, Marlyn Standifer, who for some reason have just managed to avoid being nailed to the wall by the prosecutor's office.  KCTV 5 told this creep-o's story, complete with a list of his rap sheet.  http://www.kctv5.com/story/23521240/home-invasion-suspect-just-released-from-prison

This is not uncommon that people with a murder rap are released from our jails and prisons, having not even served a full sentence.  However, in this situation, what is more troubling is the lack of heart and strength from the prosecutor's office. We see this in other crimes, when a 5 time DUI loser is set loose to drink and drive again.  How many times have we heard of such a person going on to kill someone with a car.

It may be time to clean house in the Jackson County Prosecutor's office, time to find someone who will make it worth while for witnesses to crime to take the time and risk to testify in court to facilitate a conviction.  A prosecution that will make it worthwhile for police to track down and arrest these repeat offenders.

We seem to have an ambivalence about what prison is for, if it is for punishment, rehab or deterrence.  One thing is true:  when violent criminals are in prison, their ability to commit violent crimes is reduced almost to nil.  Let's put more violent offenders behind bars for good; we know they will not use other citizens as human shields to press their criminal agendas.

Post Script:  While going to the KCTV web site to grab the link to the story about the repeat offender that I had read earlier, I noticed this story posted now.   http://www.kctv5.com/story/23528965/jackson-county-prosecutor-does-more-than-just-put-criminals-away  Did the prosecutor threaten KCTV behind the scenes because of the previous story?  My reaction to the title was immediate and visceral:   Just put the damn criminals away, Ms. Baker!!

So How Could Anything Go Wrong?

During the recent election, Hickman Mills C-1 elected two school board members.  They defeated the bids of two former members to rejoin the board, thus leaving the board with little institutional memory of life before provisional accreditation.

Now I have nothing personal against Shawn Kirkwood and Byron Townsend but I keep hearing stuff about affliations with people in the Kansas City School District, about Freedom, about Clinton Adams, and I am not thrilled about that.  It is not the mentality I think is going to bring back excellence, or even mere adequacy to education in Hickman Mills--too many cronies, too many people making hay on the backs of kids/students that are already needing to see that education means something and can be worthwhile to them.   So, a choice that makes me a bit apprehensive, and shows signs of the same mentalities that wrecked the Kansas City system are trying to infect the Hickman Mills system.

New blood on the School Board--so how is there anything wrong with that?  The potential for disaster is definitely there...

10 Mailers!

So you may have not thought too much about the recent election, but it sure seems that somebody thought it was pretty important!

So it ended up that about 10% of registered voters came out to vote in the April 2 election.  It is obvious that someone thought this vote important.  Otherwise how to explain the time and expense of all this advertising? Someone's hand is in the pocket of taxpayers.  Is anyone addressing how efficiently this money is being used?  Where was the newspaper on this?  No, to the Kansas City Star, all taxes are good.  Even taxes that go to non-profits that pay their CEOs over $900,000.

Something isn't working here...

Mailers!

There is a vote coming up in Kansas City, believe it or not.  I am not attuned to politics in April.  March fits in my rhythm, from my days in Vermont and the tradition of Town Meeting Day on the first Tuesday of March.  So, on the day after April Fool's, we will be having some voting.  Hickman Mills, Raytown and Grandview school districts will vote in some School Board members and three questions are up for all to vote on.  Link to sample ballot right here.

So far, I have received these two mailers. Has anyone else gotten anything?  They're pretty big and ornate!

One large sheet--address side--plus a note from the mayor.

The message side...

Address side of folded and sealed 4 sided mailer...

Left side of inside

Right side of inside...

The other outside face of the mailer...

Tony's Kansas City has been on top of the health levy tax--revealing the rather large salaries of execs of Truman Medical Center and Swope Health Center--here is his latest post on the matter.
I would hate to do it at the expense of people who need help, but the folks at City Hall need to be reminded that they are accountable for the taxes they collect and how those monies are spent.  I would have preferred the message be sent with a defeat of the zoo tax or the street car tax.  Those opportunities passed us by and now we are left with the unpleasant choice of sending a "no more tax" message that may have some grave affects on people or allowing a political body the luxury of thinking that the electorate will pay for anything.

The Star Spangled Banner

Ah, the national anthem.  Two recent events have put the national song in the national conversation these past weeks;  singer Beyonce lip synching at the inauguration, and the quite long rendition by Alicia Keys in the just past Super Bowl.  It reminded my of something that happened to me about a year ago, when I traveled back to my home state of Vermont.
I really enjoy basketball, and I enjoy supporting school sports too.  My high school alma mater was playing at a nearby school while I was back in my home state for family matters last year.  So I took the short drive to this rival school to take in the game.  As was typical, the game was a boys/girls doubleheader.
Just like here, and most places in the United States, the national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner" proceeded the athletic endeavors of the evening.

Small town high school hoops.

Most places don't have the talent or wherewithal to do a live anthem for every game.  Usually a recording is used of someone singing, or a band playing an instrumental version.  That was what was on tap this chilly clear evening in a small Vermont town.
Except the tape/CD/record didn't work.  And didn't work.  The silence was painful.  Players were ready to play, spectators ready to cheer, but we could not start until "The Star Spangled Banner" was played.  Silence continued.
Until someone started:  "Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light..."  A capella   No accompaniment.  A little uncertain at first, then gaining confidence as other voices joined in.  "What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?  Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,"  The crowd gained momentum, carefully picking around the part of the song that had stumbled many talented singers.  "O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?  And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."  And finishing with the last words, not drawn out, but sung at the same crisp tempo as the start of the song:  "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"  After the last note fell silent, we all looked around at each other, athletic friend and foe, two small towns that had more in common than different.  Then we cheered, for the game was about to start.

Best. Rendition. Ever.

One Nation Divided...

Boy, it's dusty around here.

It's funny, so many times as the world has gone on, I've thought, "Oh, I wrote about that in my blog."

I was just thinking to myself:  Has the world changed much since August of 2009 when I started this little enterprise?  In some ways, it has.  Some of the faces have changed.  We've had to live with the consequences of our decisions.  We haven't come together at all; if anything people are more divided in many ways.  The latest demonstration of this has been the gun debate that erupted after the shootings in Connecticut.  It's amazing how each side thinks the other side is scheming to cause the downfall of America.

It bugged me no end that the shooting of kids in Connecticut triggered this reaction about guns but no one seemed to turn a hair about the ongoing carnage in the poor sections of cities like Chicago and Kansas City. Midtown Miscreant blew the dust off his own blog and nailed it here.  Yes, it would be great to get some of the guns off the streets of our country, but how, without disarming the law abiding only?

What else has been interesting is how everyone is talking about the second amendment.  The hotness of the topic has revealed all the doublespeak that has been going on over the years, about how it was protecting the rights of hunters and sportsmen, and how it was insuring that people could protect themselves.  Now, people are going with a more literal meaning of the short-but-dense Second Amendment.  (To refresh your memory, the amendment reads as follows:  "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")  Now, arms for citizens are seen as protection from the government.

Now, if you start unpacking opposition to the current government, especially the POTUS, you run head long into multiple manifestations of every division that has the potential to rend this country into bits:  Class, race and culture.  It is this that most deeply concerns me as a citizen of this nation, that our unity and identity as Americans has been lost.  Now we are Black and White (even more starkly in many ways then the 1960s, since we have lost the ability to talk frankly to one another without having the scarlet letter R [for Racist] applied.), Rich and Poor, Young and Old, Tax Payer and non-Tax Payer (which is a misnomer, since we all pay some type of taxes all the time), Taker and Giver and so on.  It is going to be tough to solve problems with all our divisions.

We are in uncharted waters for our nation, in my opinion.  We have no frontier to expand to, either geographic or technological.  We are trying to compete on a global stage but under unequal rules.  Our decisions to pay fair wages, protect our workers in the workplace, and care for our environment make it hard for us to compete on a world basis with countries that don't spend money on those things.  We've lost our bank of unskilled and semiskilled jobs (manufacturing type jobs mainly)  for those who are not as gifted with intellect and/or education.  At the same time, we struggle to educate our people to the level required by technology.  We are struggling with an economy that is not making jobs at a rate needed to reduce unemployment, plus the jobs being made pay less, and are less stable then the jobs that have been lost.  This cripples our consumer economy, plus stresses low cost rather then quality or supporting local companies when people do have the resources to buy something.

We are in a tough spot for sure.  And I don't have answers, nor am I convinced that anyone else has a clue either.  I think it is that frustration that stands behind some of the bluster from both the left and the right, from both Keynesian economists and Supply Side economists. The extremes of both sides are totally convinced of their rightness.

I frankly think no one has a real clue what will really set this nation back on a positive course.

I think that this discouragement is what has kept me from blogging very much lately.  Where is the answer and can we stop screaming at each other and name calling long enough to find it?

South Patrol Ribbon Cutting

Ribbon snip!

OK hand over those scissors...

Election Day

Ballot Preview

It is a bit of the eleventh hour to be studying up on the election, but better late than never.  If you live in Missouri, particularly Kansas City, it is good to take time to read a sample of the ballot you will see in the polling place.  The place for all info election related is the website for the Kansas City Board of Elections.  There you will find all you need to prepare to vote November 6th.

Home page of the election board

Pdf of a sample ballot for November 6th.  A note: when you get the ballot on Tuesday, read the instructions.  It will be especially important to read instructions if you intend to vote a straight ticket of one party's candidates.  Even if you don't do this, take a quick scan of the top of the ballot.  That way you don't inadvertently invalidate your ballot.  For example, if an election reads vote for "one" or "no more then ____."  note that voting for more then the prescribed number of candidates will invalidate your vote for that office.  You can always vote for fewer.  You cannot vote for more.

The website can help you find your polling place too, if you've lost your notice to vote postcard.

Finally, do vote, if you are properly registered.  Vote only once, and vote in the polling place that serves the district/ward/area  you live in.  Do not vote where you do not live, and do not vote under someone else's name...

Keep it clean folks.

4 Days Away

Well, here we are a mere 4 days away from the election.
I've written a million posts in my head, about how divided we've gotten, about how candidates should have just kept their mouths shut, about how it appears that presidential politics influenced decision making in current foreign policy...and so on.  But as you can plainly see, none of my thoughts made it onto the blog.
No I haven't opined on the horribleness of our MLB and NFL franchises, or what sports life has been like in Kansas City.  I haven't burbled happily about the winning ways of our MLS franchise.
I haven't offered an opinion on the two mile train route, or the downtown hotel, or the east patrol station mess.   I was trying to figure out why I had  not blogged about any of these things and I have come to a couple of conclusions.
One, is that sometimes I have little time anymore.  I realize that I write horribly, incredibly slowly. It isn't that i    am even trying to be perfect, it's is more like  a slow thinking process.  Thoughts that seemed so brilliant need fleshing out and structure to be ready for the written form.  Every so often lightening will strike, but it's pretty rare. Most times, writing is pretty labor intense.
I realized another thing just the other day. Some commentator was talking about polls and whether or not they were accurate; I think it was Limbaugh but what he said next could apply to any voter.  The so-called undecideds may not be so undecided; they may be waiting until they can cast that secret ballot before declaring their choices.  It could be that 10-15% of eventual voters for either party are not talking to pollsters, candidates' offices or even their friends about their choices.  They are not posting political matter on Facebook, nor are they responding to political posts on the social media site from their friends or pages.  Speaking strictly for myself, I am tired of the fight.  I am tired of the endless challenges to positions, the spin that makes the truth elusive, the personal attacks that question my worth at its very core.  People question my loyalty to my gender, my intelligence, even my right to live and have an opinion.  I am so sick of that.
The last is this;  Both polls of politics, left and right, are convinced that their plans will work.  I am not convinced and I suspect I am not alone.  I am not convinced that using money to generate a bunch of government projects will help our economy.  However, nor am I convinced that tax breaks will create an environment that will spur on job creation.  I think that the polarization has closed minds such that an honest evaluation of ideas is not possible.  Now it is all perceived as attack when an idea is given a bad grade.

So, hey, that is a few thoughts and if I have time, I might write a few more posts over the next few days as election day draws near.  Then I will vote, and watch the results come in along with everyone else.
As for the Chiefs, they just really really stink.  Really. Stink.

Lewie's latest...

You all read this, the latest by Lewis Diuguid in the Sunday Kansas City Star--or on line?  I'll link to it, and you should read it, because it is a truly breathtaking piece.  Here is the link to "The very wealthy are driven by a silent addiction for more." 
What do you guys think?  I found it a racially and economically charged piece, designed to divide and induce guilt, that is what I think.
Words fail me. Maybe when I am not trying to hurry I can take this failure apart more thoroughly.

"50 Million Uninsured"

I recently engaged in a discussion about this claim that 50 million people in the United States do not have health insurance.  It wasn't so much about how true this worn out bumper sticker of a political saying is, but its validity and helpfulness in the debate about the health care system in the United States.  As most bumper stickers do, it overly simplifies the situation and raises up strong feelings in people who see it.
The implication becomes that 50 million people are dying in the streets for lack of medical attention.  This is not true, as there is a law that requires health care institutions to treat people with life threatening conditions.  Now, of course, this does not mean that those people working under that situation get terrific medical care, but they are not dying in the street.  Further, the law is an unfunded mandate, leaving health care providers giving care without hope of full compensation.
Some choose not to carry insurance for whatever reason.  Some are just willing to toss the dice.  Some do not trust the medical system, so they just stay away.  Some are wealthy enough that they can, for all practical purposes, self insure, with a special health savings account.
Some have insurance, but with absurdly high deductibles, that cover almost no preventative care.  $5000 is a hard number to reach without a hospital stay.  How "insured" are those folks?  So you see, this statement about how many uninsured there are only serves to inflame the passions of the "sides"--something that is completely unhelpful in formulating a solution to the problem of the dysfunctional health care system.
Yes, the system is still a problem.  The awkward, overly complicated Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in the spring of 2010 is not the answer.  Despite its 2000 page bulk, it is not complete due to the compromises it contains.  It does not address tort reform.  It really doesn't aggressively demand an accounting of the charges that health care providers put on their bills.  It is an uncomfortable amalgamation of public stick and private sector for profit service.  It is the first program that required participation and a payment--thus the Supreme Court's tortured ruling that it is a tax.
Employment and the middle east have emerged as the issues driving the presidential campaign thus far and health care reform has been shoved aside.  After the election, when the dust has mostly settled, the nation and the occupant of the White House will wake up and realize that this legislation has been implemented in its many pieces.  What will that mean to our nation and our nation's finances then?
Talking in bumper stickers does not help us now, and it will not help us then.  So let's drop the cliches.  All they do is engage feelings, not thinking.

3/11/2002

The first time twin towers of light were used to memorialize the losses of September 11, 2001 was six months after the attack.  The site was still a pit of loss and destruction.  The simplicity of the simple beams of light and the way they reach up to the sky; it is my favorite of all memorials I have seen over the years.

Never forget.

State of the Blog Report

It has probably been over a month since I posted here and longer on some of my other blogs. The third anniversary of this blog passed without me taking note of it. I gave some thought to shutting down this blog and my others too.
Part of the lack of posts was a lack of time discipline with regard to a decreased amount of time to blog. Another part of the lack of posts was being discouraged about the state of our city, our world, the election and the rest of the mess.
Well my free time situation has changed-- an unfortunate thing since it involved a change in my employment status. Further, while still discouraged, I am beginning to think that my moderate voice does have a place in this mess. The left and right talk to themselves becoming a giant echo chamber that becomes louder and louder and more and more distorted to those of us standing outside. When they talk outside their group, it is to yell at the other, degrading the opposing view, working up spin and volume rather then logical arguments and debate.
So where does that leave the South Kansas City Observer? I can't see my self posting quite as frequently as I did. But I don't think I'm ready to shut it down just yet.  Especially during a presidential election year.  I mean, really, no blogging during this fall campaign?  (Even if it is to say that neither candidate rocks my world in any sort of way...)
So you all are stuck with me.

Election Musing: No Fun to Take the GOP Ballot!

As I was looking at the ballot for the coming election I saw again the results of living in an area where one party dominates the landscape locally.  Once you get past the national and statewide races, the ballot for republicans in Jackson County gets very boring.  Many races feature that very busy entity, "No candidate filed."  Meantime on the democratic ballot, we have such juiciness as the Moreno-Runions race, with its dueling mailers and flying accusations. You just can't beat the Jackson County Sheriff race for silliness and drama...
It leaves the right leaning voter with a difficult choice:  take a GOP ballot to have a say in the 8 person race to be the republican nominee for the US Senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill, the 4 person race to decide the nominee for Missouri governor, the 4 person race for lieutenant governor, and so on, down to whether or not to give Jacob Turk another crack at Emanual Cleaver or take a Democratic ballot as to vote on those local people who in the end might have more influence in the daily life of the voter but have no say in who will take on Claire, or Jay Nixon on the GOP side.
Too bad you can't split the ballot apart or run the local races non-partisan; it would be interesting to see if removing this annoying Hobson's choice made a difference in results or turnout in the end.

Election Coming Up August 7

Most of the shouting has been about the big day in November but the election on August 7 will set the table for that big day, as well as determine winners of one party races locally.  In addition, three "issues" are on the   Kansas City ballot.  As a public service, the Observer will display the ballot language on the issues.  With 95 days before the big deal in November, some may think this August vote unimportant.  Reading these city ballot issues might help that apathy.  (Excuse me, you mean that sales tax has no sunset?)


OFFICIAL BALLOT
STATE OF MISSOURI
PRIMARY ELECTION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2
Proposed by the 96th General Assembly (First Regular Session) HJR 2
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to ensure:
That the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs shall not be infringed;
That school children have the right to pray and acknowledge God voluntarily in their schools; and
That all public schools shall display the  Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.
It is estimated this proposal will result in little or no costs or savings for state and local governmental entities.

OFFICIAL BALLOT
CITY OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
SPECIAL ELECTION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012
QUESTION 1
Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri:
Prohibit the renewal of the expired annual $12.50 per motor vehicle fee,
Cease billing and collecting the trafficway maintenance tax by setting its assessment at $0.00,
Cease billing and collecting the park and boulevard maintenance tax by setting its assessment at $0.00,
Cease billing and collecting the boulevards and parkways front foot assessment by setting its assessment at $0.00,
Enact as a replacement a parks sales tax of ½-cent authorized by Section 644.032 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri for the purpose of providing for the maintenance and operations of local parks, parkways, boulevards and community centers,
Establish a dedicated fund to be used exclusively for street maintenance, and
Transfer no less than 7.5% of the net annual earnings tax receipts to the dedicated street maintenance fund effective January 1, 2013 and each following year for as long as the parks sales tax is in effect?
QUESTION 2
Shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri issue sanitary sewer system revenue bonds in the principal amount not to exceed $500,000,000 for the purpose of extending and improving the sanitary sewer system of the City, including compliance with the federally mandated Consent Decree for the Overflow Control Program, with the principal and interest of the bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its sanitary sewer system?

For voting information for Kansas City residents, visit the Election Board's website linked here.

Public Reaction to Mass Shootings

Unfortunately, the United States is the world leader in mass shootings--one, occasionally two people with weapons going to a public place and shooting people.  Sometimes it is a random act and sometimes the shooter has a motive of anger or revenge.  It is always shocking to us because it occurs in our common spaces--our shopping malls, movie theaters, schools or work places--where we feel relatively safe.  We don't expect to be wounded or killed when we are in the store.
The typical blather has been heard after this latest shooting incident in Colorado.  Gun control, terrorism, and mental health care have been among the topics explored.  Included in this are questions about Barack Obama and Mitt Romney's stance on those same topics. 
It is not the discussion or even the talking points that are so irritating.  It is the self appointed experts, blathering along, seemingly without a care about the losses to the families or trauma to the community that are so irritating.  Also, it becomes increasingly difficult to strike a balance in public expression:  after Columbine or Virgina Tech did we have a presidential proclamation or put the flags at half staff?  Did political discourse grind to a complete halt?  What to make of ABC News deciding that a certain man named Holmes was the shooter without fact checking something as simple as age?
At some point we will have to ask questions, but now, with families still reeling from the physical and psychic trauma and little or no information about the shooter and his possible motives, is not the time for such things. Stick to just the facts, mam, and keep the self appointed experts and professional arguers away.

On John Sharp

John Sharp has been involved in something in Kansas City just about the entire time I have lived here--and never have I felt more ambivalence towards a politician.  So often he seems to have insight into situation--the reason I am writing this blog is his grasp of this city's need for a new animal shelter building.  His statements as reflected in this Kansas City Star article are very encouraging that he has a grasp of the issues.  I have seen Mr. Sharp reflect sensibly on some other issues as well.  Early on in the MAST/KCFD debacle, he was  a reluctant supporter of a city take over of the EMS; at first working  towards creating an EMS department, separate from KCFD.  Gradually, pushed by Louie Wright and the political power of local 42, Mr. Sharp caved, but  many of his early statements on KCMO's  EMS were pretty good.
In addition to his insights, Mr.  Sharp is visible in the sixth district, especially east of 71 highway.  His rapport with those in the east side of the 6th is obvious, and his fight to preserve the old council boundaries no doubt grew out of this personal comfort zone.  Still, rare is the event, opening, or dedication that does not have Mr. Sharp in attendance.  I have also seen him in such places as the neighborhood McDonald's.  I think that is pretty cool.
Yet...yet.  When John Sharp was involved with MAST, money became a problem, and most pointed at John   Sharp as the problem.  When John Sharp left the Hickman Mills C-1 school board, many were glad to see him go.  Many disliked his defense of the old 6th district boundaries, his advocacy for some of the plans to redevelop the Bannister Mall site, and the way he brought about the water spray park on Longview Road.  Sometimes when you observe Mr. Sharp it appears that he was more interested in promoting John Sharp and his agenda.  Sometimes, Mr. Sharp seems very sharp indeed, sometimes he appears quite dull, and other times, he seems most concerned with John Sharp.

John Sharp is termed out in 2015.  He has been involved in administrating government services, and making political decisions for over 20 years--closer to 30.  It will be interesting to see where John Sharp goes from here.  On the one hand, he is a perceptive, available member of government, who is at ease with the people who elected him.  On the other hand, his actual performance often falls short, creating problems that have to be fixed.  You watch him in action, you think he has some potential to be someone who can govern wisely and well, and then...you find yourself a bit disappointed.